Discussion surrounding the future of architecture has generated widespread interest in the last decades. During these years a vast amount of ideas concerning flexible architecture have been produced. The term flexible architecture has been generally understood as an architecture that responds to change, as a “fluid architecture that becomes complete once people inhabit it and use it.”. The flexible architecture has been increasingly granted attention by today`s architects and designers. It comprises an arena where thought and design grasps one’s imagination and keeps expanding, directed by a range of purposes. Today the concept has established itself as one of much importance and enters the contemporary architectural world with great confidence. Some of the ideas surrounding flexible architecture stay experimentally unique with utopian characteristics and remain inbuilt, while many others are increasingly being commissioned by different clients – both private persons and various organisations.

Generally humankind possesses the greatest values that allow to define it as dynamic. These are the abilities to pass on the accumulated knowledge from one generation to the next, to embrace and solve the problems, its natural curiosity to explore, the restless energy, and uncontrollable desire to achieve new goals. All the historical and cultural events that happened in the world known to us, and all that are to happen are based on these qualities.

Vladimir Lenin, Russian communist revolutionary and political theorist said:

“To live in a society and be free from a society is

impossible”.

Indeed societies form the network of countries of the world where citizens are organized into certain way of living, framed by set of rules and laws. But of course if we compare the dynamic type of citizen to the static one, we could say that the static type is content to live in a changeless environment. Traditions determine the way of his living, his beliefs, his production techniques, social and cultural activities. Such societies can be remote tribal societies that are ignorant to any kind of innovation and actually have no need or desire for it.

Today, the modern dynamic citizen finds himself in dynamic, ever changing environment. By its nature, mankind has always been transient, to varying degrees through the history. What has changed with the time, and what we can witness today is the speed and scale at which the increasing restlessness occurs. In order for modern architecture to serve the contemporary society, it must embrace and respond to the state of constant transfer, exchange, relocation and adaptation, – the qualities evolved by contemporary societies.

Technology has transformed the world into a global phenomenon. Travelling time has shrunk dramatically during the last century. Journeys that would have taken weeks at the beginning of the century are reduced to just a few hours today. Exchange of information is at our fingertips thanks to the web connections. We use metal and plastic capsules to travel through and over land, air and water. Important parts of contemporary society are modern “nomads” – ambitious career and job seekers, students, travelers, soldiers, entertainers, businessmen.

Globalization is the term that can be defined as “the technological and economic influences that force us together worldwide”. While being a route for wealth for many, globalization on other hand pass on many problems and challenges. A very small number of countries and multinationals dominate the rest of the world economically and technologically. Massive poverty still finds place despite generally visible prosperity. Human’s desire to improve living conditions often results in migration. Mass migration leaves both positive and negative footprints. Immigrants might shortly lift up the labor shortage, but migration leaves deep scars in the native countries, and sometimes provokes social, cultural and political unrest in host countries.

Globalization is the term that can be defined as “the technological and economic influences that force us together worldwide”. While being a route for wealth for many, globalization on other hand pass on many problems and challenges. A very small number of countries and multinationals dominate the rest of the world economically and technologically. Massive poverty still finds place despite generally visible prosperity. Human’s desire to improve living conditions often results in migration. Mass migration leaves both positive and negative footprints. Immigrants might shortly lift up the labor shortage, but migration leaves deep scars in the native countries, and sometimes provokes social, cultural and political unrest in host countries.

Global consumerism and mobility have provided many with desired freedom, but the results of global warming and climate changes prove to be quite dramatic. The reality proves to be complicated. As corporations and communities continue to expand and contract, re-locate, emerge and vanish, their need to be capable of adapting is increasing. The nomadic lifestyle and working patterns of our mobile society as well as other consequences of globalization require new dimensions from modern architecture. Modern architectures aim is to serve in a highly effective and sustainable way contemporary society. Perhaps a more functional architecture that is movable, adaptable, transformable and capable of disengagement and reassembly could keep up with the occupants’ need to have multiple activities in one space, help to maintain economy and ease the over use of energy and resources

Compiled by Ar.S.S.Abishek , Creative Head , Saran Architects

An Architectural project involves the creation of Light/shade with Logic , Creativity , Efficiency and Emotions and to design a house we mix elements of aspirations and memories . With this in mind , we ask our self

how we can add emotion and value to our

client’s home?

This question takes me back to my early days , where I was drowning in the fun memories with the spaces I and my gang enjoyed building forts and imagining myself role-playing characters from films . These characters which we role-played were hugely impacted by the house and the environment at that particular time period . That time I was not sure of the exact element but now I know that it was the texture , color , time that triggered our energy levels along with our role-play plots.

As I grew , Spaces started to have more direct impact with my thoughts and emotions and I started consciously arranging my personal space which i spend a lot of time to improve my skill sets and knowledge by having images of my vision and colors to motivate my actions and micro-spaces to satisfy my functions. These spaces slowly shaped my thoughts and my self image.

Same way , we all carry memories along for years, and over time they often turn into visual symbols and these symbols are clearly seen in our frequently used environment , one being our house and another our office . These visual symbols are also about aspirations, to reach a level that is understood as a measure of success and often manifests into a ‘form’. The form could be a house with a large porch, a Benz car, a certain building material associated with richness.

The concept of a home is also one which moves beyond physical spaces to experiences. For instance, for someone who grew up in Kerala in a house with large verandahs, rain was always experienced as water rolling down the sloping roof in sheets, which could be enjoyed sitting in the verandah. For such a person, ‘home’ would be that experience which you cannot have in a building with punched windows or with deep sunshades over windows. People often cry when they leave a house or even a flat, even if they are moving in to a better place- it is not about the comforts of the place they are leaving, but about the memories attached to that place that they are going to miss. Here a ‘space’ becomes a ‘place’, and a ‘house’ becomes a ‘home’.

The experience of rain in a house with verandahs and courtyards may be something one can never get in an urban apartment with small windows but a similar experience can be developed with a creative solution.

Hence it becomes important to respect those images in the mind while designing for an individual, all the more in the case of a house, and to capture them in a subtle way so as to create that link with these images.

These kind of visual requirements helps an architect to create more value to the users’s place and space , hence drowns them with joy and excitement of re-experiencing their memories as it is these kind of memories which helped the user define their character , attitude and meaning . These memories or images may belong to the past but we architects will transform them to future. This creates a toast in the process of design and a charm on creativity.

In the contemporary world of architecture, we are exposed to minimalism . We design as a process of creation with life and value with very minimal use of chaotic elements/process. Rituals, festivities and faith, colors and light, and a vibrancy that may appear almost chaotic for outsiders but with strong underlying order has been our culture which in turn defined our way of life, hence we always create science and faith with logic and sentiments which baggage our memories thus creating absorption.

The vibrancy and energy of a always changes and sometimes it is extremely difficult to capture that spontaneous vibrancy of street or a market place in a planned environment, so we set up context for that energy to grow in the spaces over years. Ageing of the buildings is a most interesting process, and creating those nooks and corners to absorb memories and make it richer over every passing day could help in creating a sense of homecoming.The process of building memories into the space is an ongoing process, it never stops, houses remain collection of memories that continue to build over the years forming a unique image for the occupant.

By : S.S.Abishek , Creative Head , Saran Architects

How can architecture serve as a catalyst for storytelling? How can architecture tell the appropriate stories?

Throughout time, people have used visual devices to capture stories. Visual storytelling displays a history of the past, an identity for the present, and a story for the future to compare and appreciate. Architecture is an ever-present form of visual storytelling. The built environment has the ability to capture the history of a place and tell that story through space. Architecture forms a visual, spatial link between the past, present, and future, becoming a point in the timeline of a place and culture.

 Architecture constantly tells stories, but often these narratives are one-dimensional, ‘flat’ representations. These stories comprise a single layer – style – a layer that tells nothing of culture, history, or pride in a place, but is instead rooted in economics and the desire to build things cheaply and quickly.

In order for visual storytelling to occur in the form of architecture, a multiple-layered language must be developed. A spatial language is needed to tell the story of a particular place. If a spatial language is developed, it is possible to tell the appropriate stories – stories of the people who inhabit or have inhabited a place, the cultural history of a site, and evolution of use, building materials, and technology.

In order for buildings to tell the appropriate stories, ‘accommodating architecture’ must be created, that is, architecture that engages with the history of a site, respects existing conditions of a place, relates to present needs, and provides the potential for future use and adaptation

Here the design invites the users and visitors to touch and explore the story, it is possible to create new architecture to enhance the sense of being part of the story, and thus part of the past, present, and future.

For instance ,

A cultural arts centre with an emphasis on music is a program type deeply rooted in the production of ideas. Such a centre would encourage users to be immersed in the story of the South Waterfront and in the story of music. This program type would foster a sense of community, a sense of place, and engage with existing building and landscape elements through interior / exterior performance and display spaces.

And

A music centre encourages the idea of storytelling. Music is something quite magical that is produced and felt for a few moments in time, but can be remembered for a lifetime. It is ever-changing, ever-evolving, ever-inspiring. With a cultural music centre, spaces can be created that tell this story of music, that capture the feeling and magic of music even when it is not being produced. Vacant spaces should capture memory and excitement of music, so that visitors feel like sound is always present and therefore feel and understand the story of the place. In this sense, architecture acts as a vessel to ‘hold’ the story. New design does not compete with existing conditions, but instead enhances them. They should possess a humble, informal quality that encourages a dialogue between old and new, between people and music.

Translating the concept of storytelling into form involves a spatial language that reveres the past, fits present needs, and is adaptable to future use. The story of the site is always evolving, always growing, always changing. Likewise, the spaces that are created need to be able to grow and change to relate to conditions of the area. The form of the building constantly mediates between musician and music, between music and the community. Possible approaches to form include the creation of an outdoor space that serves as the ‘bridge’ between new and old architecture, between teacher and student, between visitor and music. In this sense, the outdoor performance space becomes the platform for exploring the story of music and the site.

Another approach to form is the creation of layered spaces and planes – and thus the creation of a layered story. In this way, users and visitors would catch glimpses of other activities and functions relative to the production of music. The new architecture could also act as a frame for viewing existing elements of the site. One is aware of the space inhabited, as well as how that space interacts with others and thus other 1 layer of the story.

Article by S.S.Abishek , Creative head , Saran Architects.

References

Ambasz, Emilio. Progressive Architecture. Scarpa Reinhold Publish.ing, May 1981. pp 117-123.

Burns, Carol J. “On Site: Architectural Preoccupations.” New York: Princeton Architectural Press, Inc., 1991.

Byard, Paul Spencer. The Architecture of Additions. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1998. pp 57-60.

Fentress, Curtis W. Civic Builders. Great Britain: Wiley Academy, 2002. pp 155-159.

“Knoxville South Waterfront: Creating an Actionable and Inspirational Vision” (revised November 7, 2006)

Trencher, Michael. The Alvat Aalto Guide. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1996. pp 152-154.

“Two Architects Ten Questions on Program” (answers by Rem Koolhaas and Bernard Tschumi; questions by Amanda Reeser Lawrence, Ana Miljacki, and Ashley Schafer)

“Zoning Ordinance for Knoxville Tennessee” (revised October 24,2006)

Zumthor, Peter. Peter Zumthor Works. Lars Muller Publishers, 1979-1997.

You are more than just your physical body. You are energy vibrating in a Universe made of vibrating energy. Your energy vibrations attract like energy to you. This means that whatever is at a similar energy vibration to you will appear in your life. If you are vibrating at the same energy frequency as a cup of coffee, your energy vibrations attract a cup of coffee to you.

If you are vibrating at the same energy frequency as someone you haven’t heard from in years, your energy vibrations attract that person into your life. You might meet randomly, receive a phone call from him or her, or you might hear his/her name mentioned in a conversation. If you are vibrating at the same energy as debt, your energy vibrations attract debt. You might find yourself always having debt or you might watch your debt increase over time.

This is why it’s important that you learn how to control your energy vibration. When you control your energy vibration, you control what your vibrations attract – good and bad.

What Are Your Energy Vibrations Attracting?

It isn’t what you think about that you’re attracting. It isn’t what you’re feeling that attracts. It isn’t even what you want that you attract. These are ways to tell what you’re attracting to you, but they don’t actually attract. You attract what matches your energy vibration.

It might help to think of yourself as a radio tower emitting a signal. Your tower is the essence of who you are. It represents who you are in any moment – how you project yourself into the world. These projections are the energy you give off that attracts like energy to you.

If you see yourself as a wealthy individual, if it is the essence of who you are and how you project yourself to the world, then you will attract wealth to you. Money and riches will come to you effortlessly.

But if you see yourself as someone who never has enough, or who struggles to pay their bills every month, then that is the essence of who you are and how you project yourself to the world. Your radio tower emits the signal of not enough, of lack, of poverty…and attracts back to you these same things.

If you want to change what you are attracting, you have to shift your vibration.

You can spend all your time and work hard on your goals, but if you do not change the vibration, you will never realize your dreams and manifest your goals. This is why we often experience the “things are not moving in our way” moments.

When your energy vibration is not in alignment with what you desire in your life, things will seem to go against you regardless of what you do. You can put in extra hours to work on your dreams, work harder, find ways, learn better strategy, hire more talented people to your company, get better business partners, etc., but if your vibration did not change, you will eventually suffer the same outcomes, which is a business failure.

This is why an entrepreneur can fail at a business and when they start another business, they will experience the same failure. And when they finally “get it”, they change their vibration in harmony with their goals, they will finally manifest the success results they want.

Are you working hard on your goals and are trying your best to manifest your dreams, but you fail to realize them no matter how hard you try? If this is happening to you, you need to change your vibration. You need to create vibrations (thoughts and feelings) that are in harmony with what you want.

And when your vibration is in alignment with the order you are placing with the universe, things will come to you automatically, without much effort. Things will become so smooth that you seem to have the “Midas touch” and able to turn every business into a successful venture.

When this happens, you will be able to manifest your dreams and accomplish all your goals. This is when you will experience the “smoothness” of life and are living in harmony with what you desire

Compiled by S.S.Abishek ,

Creative head of Saran Architect